Lumen Rebukes the First Hokage! His Throne and Path to Godhood

Everyone's attention returned to Lumen.

Lumen swept his gaze over the ruined Valley of the End and answered without the slightest concealment.

"No one in the Shinobi World can match me now."

"Defeating you and ascending to godhood in the Shinobi World is a step I must take."

"But a ninja's self-recognition is meaningless."

"What I want is recognition from the entire Shinobi World."

"I want the Five Great Countries, every ninja village, every ninja, and every civilian to acknowledge that Uchiha Lumen is no ordinary powerhouse or so-called demigod."

"I want to become a god recognized by the Shinobi World."

Tobirama had just restored his arms. Upon hearing those words, he immediately let out a cold laugh.

"A god?"

He stepped out of the deep pit and looked at Lumen with utter mockery.

"You defeated nothing more than an Impure World Body of my brother with only seventy or eighty percent of his strength, and you dream of becoming a god?"

"The so-called God of Shinobi was merely a title the world gave my brother in praise of his power."

"A true god should be immortal, omnipotent, and above all things."

"No matter how powerful a mortal's ninjutsu may be, no matter how many ninja villages he can destroy, he will eventually grow old, be wounded, and die."

"You claim to be a god just because your combat power surpasses the Shinobi World?"

"Utterly ridiculous!"

Lumen ignored Tobirama. Looking at Hashirama lying in the riverbed, he asked directly, "Hashirama, what was the greatest ideal of your life?"

Hashirama said nothing.

"To end war, so children would no longer have to die on the battlefield."

"That was why you joined forces with Madara Uchiha to establish Konoha and create the one-country, one-village system."

"That's right."

Lumen's voice remained calm.

"But